Jones was among the panelists Thursday at a Milwaukee Press Club panel regarding Wisconsin’s water economy. The question of water prices raises the issue of whether higher costs can encourage people and businesses to conserve it.

In southeast Wisconsin, water generally is cheap, Jones said. He said a lot of communities charge lower than their cost, using taxes to make up the difference.

“There ought to be a lot more awareness of what it really costs,” Jones said.

For MillerCoors, the cost of water in the Milwaukee is compared with the price in other U.S. locations where the company could brew beer instead, said Kim Marotta, director of sustainability. MillerCoors’ brewery in Trenton, Ohio, for example, has its own well and pays no rates for water, she said.

“As we look at keeping jobs here, as we look at revenue, as we look at the impact we’ve had on this community for 160 years, water is expensive, particularly when you are looking at compared to Trenton,” Marotta said.

The panel also featured talk about the city Waukesha’s pending request to use Lake Michigan water to satisfy its future needs.

The city and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources still are compiling an environmental document that is required for the plan to be approved. Once complete, a draft of the plan will be released for public comment before it is finalized, said Eric Ebersberger, Wisconsin DNR water use section chief.